1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention is related to the field of audio systems and more particularly to a method and system for reducing bandwidth consumption in an audio system.
2. History of Related Art
Streaming audio signals over inconsistent and bandwidth-limited mediums is a difficult problem. In many designs, buffering schemes are employed to reduce the possibility of breaking the audio stream during playback. These buffers compensate for inconsistencies in the audio transmission rate. In these schemes, the size of the buffer is based upon an assumed minimum bandwidth. The receiving device can reproduce the audio signal from the front of the buffer as the audio signal streams into the back of the buffer. Unfortunately, the network frequently cannot produce the minimum required bandwidth for the necessary duration. When this occurs, the buffer empties and the audio stream playback is broken. The buffer must then be refilled, which requires a time that is proportional to the size of the buffer. While the buffer is refilling, the subscriber waits to hear the rest of the transmission. It is therefore beneficial to implement a method and system that reduce the bandwidth consumed by an audio signal thereby reducing the minimum bandwidth required to maintain an uninterrupted audio stream.